Point of View

The third person ("they," "he," "she") omniscient or all-seeing narrative point of view is necessary to Stowe's novel, as the novel follows simultaneously the activity of several characters in different places. The point of view occasionally shifts to second person ("you") for the purpose of drawing the reader into the story at moments of high emotion. For instance, during the description of Eliza's flight with Harry from the Shelbys, the narrator suddenly confronts us: "If it were your Harry, mother, or your Willie, that were going to be torn away from you by a brutal trader, tomorrow morning ... how fast could you walk?" Since the success of Uncle Tom's Cabin depends upon the reader's ability to empathize with the characters-and particularly the black slaves-these shifts into second person point of view are crucial to Stowe's purpose.